Chapter 45: Homecoming

Captain Walker woke up a day after the short meeting with the president. Rick and Rachel didn’t leave her bedside the whole time she was awake with the exception of Doctor Hunt examining her.

The partner had decided to wait a bit for her to recover before telling her about the fate of Team Beta, and the results of the mission. Something that the Major agreed wholeheartedly with when he came to visit the woman and she demanded for answers.

Only when she was good enough to walk to the bathroom on her own did the pair answer her questions. She took the loss of her subordinates professionally and poise. Back then she knew Team Beta had perished. There wasn’t any proof but it was what her guts told her so she was already prepared for it to be official.

Rick was both admonished for not leaving her behind and thanked for saving her life. Rachel had been more than enthusiastic to tell her in excruciating detail how he had fought with the wounded Captain on her back then carried the both of them through three km in the cold while freezing his balls off. He just shrugged it off when both women had a look of awe and gratitude on their faces while staring at him.

They had received the official paperwork regarding their promotions. From all the work they did and how crucial and dangerous it had been, Teresa Walker was now Major, for exemplary leadership. Rachel who was already recommendable for Captain got a push further to Major too bypassing the TIR thanks to the president’s intervention. Major Hunt was now Lieutenant Colonel and finally Rick was made Captain, his TIS and TIR for the rank being waved too.

Teresa had been discharged from the hospital just in time for being able to celebrate Rick’s acing his Bachelor. It was a bittersweet moment for all of them. Most of the Unit had made plans for it and it was only him and his two teammates.

Then came Rick’s being discharged from the army. Doctor Hunt had been very insistent on him contacting her if he noticed or felt any changes with his body. Something he would never do. The woman may be ethical and had some morals but she was far more interested in what he was for humanity than who he was as a person, although she liked him good enough.

The separation with Rachel took time. Since she was on medical leave for a while, the duo decided to spend their remaining time together in Paris. Rick had wanted to tour the city for good this time. Something he hadn’t been able to do while he was with Claire and searching for her brother back in December of 98.

Contrary to what anyone who knew of their relationship dynamic would have thought, they didn’t spend the whole week fucking in a expensive hotel. They actually visited the City of Love. Rachel had loved the glass pyramid of the Louvre while Rick had been more interested in the Eiffel Tower and its surroundings. Both didn’t like the French much or at least the workers in shops and restaurants. Passerbyes were mostly fine and polite when asked for directions.

When it was time to go home, they went their separate ways. Rachel argued that it was simpler for them to take a different plane and separate right now than make it last further once they were back in the States. Rick agreed with her wholeheartedly.

She flew back to Washington and he flew back to Baltimore after a heartfelt hug and promises of writing as much as they could. A promise that both would do their best to keep. They weren’t just friends after all, they were partners and their relationship ran deeper than mere friendship.

Rick had written an e-mail to Jill. It was a message asking her if he could crash at her place for a while now that he was about to be out of the military. She agreed on the spot and even offered to pick him up from the airport on his return from Paris. It was her way to welcome him home properly especially after she had been the one who drove him to bootcamp. It felt like a loop closing. A chapter she started and put an end to.

On the day of his arrival she was waiting for Rick, looking around, trying to find him. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t find the lean and slightly taller kid she got attacked to more than ten years ago. If anything she was expecting to be as tall as he was. The T-virus she had been infected with back in Raccoon City had several side effects on her body, most notably an increase in height of three inches making her 5’8”. Rick had been 6’ the last time she saw him five years ago so it was reasonable for her to search people around her height.

“Searching for someone?”

Jill turned to the side to see a military man in dress uniform. A very tall man. The first thing she saw was his ribbons and medals since they were at her eye level. Said eyes nearly bulged out of their orbits when she recognized the Medal of Honor on his chest. Right next to it was a Silver Star and a Purple Heart.

“A friend of mine, sir.” Jill politely answered and continued looking around.

“Maybe they found you?”

She recognized the amused tone on the spot. She would recognize it anywhere. Slowly she turned her head and looked up. Way up. Her jaw nearly dropped to the ground when she realized who the officer she had been talking to was.

The eyes were the same. Grey and blue and so vivid. The nose too and so were the cheekbones. The jaw was a bit more angular than she remembered and looked powerful.

Jill couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She remembered a malnourished kid with only the skin on his bones, then the lean and a bit tall teenager who wasn't quite done growing and had still quite a bit of youth on his face, too much to be considered a man. She certainly hadn’t expected the relatively handsome kid to turn out into such a handsome man.

‘Scratch that! He’s a hunk!’

Before she could properly reconcile and check that the decorated officer in front of her was her friend, she was taken into a bear hug who nearly took all the air away from her lugs.

“It’s good to see you again, Jugs. I missed you so much!”

It was fortunate for her to have her head buried against his chest because she was blushing up a storm. When Rick lifted her up and spun them around, her brain had finally rebooted and said it was enough.

“Put me down!”

With a chuckle he complied and dropped her. Jill landed on her two feet without difficulty and took a few steps back to have a good look at him. She would not admit it to anyone but the army sure did do some real good to Rick beyond providing the opportunity of a good life and friends.

“Why the hell are you wearing your uniform?”

Rick gave her a pleased grin she didn’t know he could make. “I wanted to be presentable. To show you how far I went and that you were right to push me to enlist.”

“How fa— Rick! That’s a fucking Medal of—” she immediately toned down her volume, noticing she was attracting everyone’s attention. “That’s a Medal of Honor! The fuck did you do?!” She whispered and hissed at the same time.

His smile faltered a little and she knew she shouldn’t have asked that question.

“I survived like I always do.” His voice was soft but loaded with emotion.

Jill couldn’t believe she heard it. Rick was logical and pragmatic. Teasing, anger and as she discovered after his return from Antarctica, sorrow were the only emotion he had ever displayed and it was rare occurrences.

“How about we go?” He offered. “I don’t know about you but I’m famished. I slept during the whole flight and missed meals.”

She nodded in agreement then gave him a proud smile “Come on, I bought two tomahawk steaks for the occasion.”

His eyes widened in shock. “Tomah— Jugs are you mad? That shit is expensive!”

“I’m well aware but it’s not everyday we reunite. It’s been five years! And no, you’re not paying me back!” Jill began to walk toward the exit.

Rick frowned, following her. “Fine! But the drinks are on me! Which is good because I bought some expensive wine while in Paris.”

“Perfect.”

Jill led him to her car. A beat up bottle green Honda. Putting his duffle bag in the trunk, Rick rode shotgun. The first thing he did when he sat down was to push as far back as he could the seat so he’d have some space for his legs. Jill gave him a curious look before shaking her head in amusement and starting the engine. The ride was a silent one, just like the one they had when she brought him to bootcamp. Only the radio could be heard.

Traffic was good so they made good time back to her flat. Rick pulled out the bottle he had brought back and let Jill savour it while he cooked. He had to fight her for it but she relented. His argument was that it was the least he could do for her after everything she did for him over the years.

Naturally she asked questions about his time in the army. Of course, she knew Rick couldn’t answer most of them. At least not the ones related to his work but it was fine, she was interested about the social part of his life. That was why she had advised him to enlist in the first place. Bounding with people.

“Well… I have a… best friend?” Rick confessed while turning over a steak then the other. “She’s your age actually.”

“Really?” Jill was pleased to hear that. “Wasn’t there anyone around your age?”

“Nope. I was the youngest obviously and she was the closest in age. But that’s alright. Just like me she’s a survivor so we clicked the very first day. Although I had to punch to submission some asshole.”

She choked on her wine. “You did not!”

“Oh, yeah I did. Guy had a few inches on me. Broken his wrist then his nose, knocking him out. Right there in the cafeteria in front of everyone. Idiot thought he could intimidate me because I was just enlisted while he was a Lieutenant or sergeant or whatever.” he began to chuckle, remembering fondly the moment. “ I basically told them what the pecking order was. Captain Walker, then the Major then me.”

Now she laughed at that. She was well aware that Teresa Walker was a woman you shouldn’t cross no matter what and that despite being of an inferior rank than Hunt was the one truly in charge in a way.

“The guy got expelled from the program that very day and Major Hunt didn’t say squat to me. That got all the other candidates scared except Rachel. Since I dealt with her roommate she moved in with me and the rest is history.” He flipped the steaks again.

“I’m happy you found friends.”

He took a moment to answer that and Jill noticed that something was wrong. “I’m not.” He spoke while exhaling. “It was such a waste of time.”

“How so?” The frown on her face was one of worry.

“Except her, they’re all dead. What was the point in making bonds when they just… abandoned you?”

Jill put her glass down and moved to stand next to him. She grabbed his face and made him look at her. “All relationships come to an end one way or another. Each brings you a little something. Sometimes it matters, sometimes it doesn’t. But they’re part of you. I’m sure you had good times with them, no?”

“Yeah… What of it?” He whispered.

“Do you regret those? Do you wish to never have experienced them?”

Rick had no ready answer to give. He had needed to think about it while staring right into her eyes. “I… I don’t know.” He admitted then took another moment to think further. “No… I don’t regret those moments. I just… I don’t know if they were worth the pain now that they’re gone.”

“Do you think your life would have been better without those moments in your life?”

“No.” His answer was immediate this time. He knew his life would have been worse. He would have focused on his studies, on training, on learning everything he could. On surviving. Like he had always done. While in the Unit and starting with Rachel, he hadn't just survived. Rick had learned to live. To enjoy life.

It was an easy answer because he had often asked himself the question over the past five years.

“Then it wasn’t a waste of time.” Jill turned the stove off before the steaks would burn.

“I supposed it wasn’t. Thanks, Jugs.”

She gave him a kind smile and took the pan to serve them both. As they sat down to eat the conversation picked up again but this time towards the future. Jill wanted to know what his plans were.

“I don’t know. Beyond going to Harvardville in early May for Sherry’s graduation I haven’t really thought about what to do. So far my only prospect is the President’s offer.”

For the second time today, Jill choked on her drink. “The president made you an offer?”

Rick sealed his lips around his fork and used his teeth to stop the piece of meat on it from being pulled with the fork. He gave her a nod and took his time to chew. Jill didn’t seem in a hurry but it was clear she wanted to know more.

When he swallowed he looked deep into her eyes. He knew she wouldn’t like what he was about to say. “He wants me to join the BSAA and keep an eye on things.”

Jill had enough control to not shout in anger. “What the fuck?!”

“President Graham is worried that some unsavory people may use the BSAA to further their agenda regarding bio-weaponry or bio-terrorism. My teammates? They died because we were betrayed by someone in the White House. So he asked a few people who are…” He searched for the proper word. “Cautious of governments or people in charge but have a good moral compass, people he knows he can trust, to keep an eye on some things. The BSAA being an international organisation under the U.N. is particularly susceptible to be influenced and rotten from the inside. Especially when it’s financed privately by the Federation of Pharmaceutical Companies. Companies that may be like Umbrella.”

“So he asked you to spy on us?” She couldn’t believe it.

“Not really spying. I don’t have to report anything at regular intervals or at all. I was asked to report only if I found something suspicious happening. Of course you’re not supposed to know,” He shrugged. “But I’ve been quite clear I wouldn't betray you or Chris and he seemed fine with it. That is of course, if I chose to join the BSAA.”

That seemed to calm her down a bit. Rick made a compelling argument she couldn’t refute. The BSAA was financed by pharmaceutical companies, the same kind that developed B.O.W. “You’re not?”

Rick let out a sigh. “Jugs… I went through sixteen viral outbreaks. It’s sixteen more than most people in the world. I’m basically the foremost expert in those. I’m not even 23 yet. I’m tired.”

She could understand that, having her fair share of experience regarding viral outbreaks. It was far from Rick’s staggering number however and she wondered what kind of shit he had done and gone through in the past five years. He had been barely seventeen when he went through his first one.

It also worried her that so many outbreaks had happened and she had never been aware of it. It didn’t bode well for the future at the rate of bio-weaponry was spreading.

“Well… The BSAA sure could use someone of your experience. And while I’m not happy with what the president asked of you, I understand why he did it. I would tell Chris about it if you join but no one else and he wouldn’t babble either.”

“Oh? Did the meathead finally find out how to use his brain a little?”

She snorted and laughed at his amused tone. “Yeah, he did. Just a little bit.”

“No way! I’ve got to hear this!”

The tone of the conversation changed again for something far lighter and Jill didn’t spare any tidbit of information on how her ex was now not just a muscle head.